August 2019 Grocery Challenge

PipneyJane

sweetpea26 wrote: »

Thank you elsiepac

I haven't participated in the challenge for quite a few months, I have been keeping a tight eye these last couple weeks on our spending on groceries.

I would love to download a simple easy to understand spreadsheet but dont know where to find one. One that I can track groceries fuel toiletries, snacks out that sort of thing. Maybe someone knows of one and I would appreciate the help.

Please add me for £400
I feed 3/4 adults daily and a 5th at weekends and at least 4 fluffie friends
Hi to all and all the best for the month of August.

What type of phone do you have? I have an iPhone - and an iPad - so use the free "Numbers" spreadsheet tool to track my GC spend. I can access the spreadsheet from both to add items to it, thanks to the free iCloud that came with my phone. (IIRC, you get 5gb iCloud free.)

It's just a matter of setting up columns and totals for what you want to track, then having the self-discipline to fill it in when you spend money. I'm lazy, so the easy part was setting up the spreadsheet.

HTH.

- Pip

Suffolk_lass

elsiepac wrote: »

I move to my new house on 25th so GC coinciding nicely with this. I will have little to no fresh and frozen stuff, and just a couple of tins. Lots of dry goods like lentils, quinoa, rice etc.

My new home is going to be a new start for me in many many ways. I'm determined to take this opportunity to change how I shop and how much I store! Because one thing I learned while packing is that I keep far too much in stock.

I want to aim for about £40 a week - this should give me a little surplus in case I need any extras this month. I'm having to pay double on a lot of bills and along with increased rent and more petrol money, I now have no choice but to stay on budget.

I'll try and keep following CRANKY's example and post what I'm eating each day. I like doing that

Really good luck with that move elsiepac - nightmare with the bills!

I think posting what we are eating is a good way of inspiring ourselves and others to stick to our meal-plans - and reducing our stores means we stop paying the supermarkets to store their stuff!.

I am going to try really paring back from now until September (helped by hols in the middle) - we have lots of home-grown veg at the moment and I am trying to shed half a stone before our holiday (3lb so far) so really simple food choices.

It is courgette soup for lunch and then this evening might be hard-boiled eggs with courgette salad tonight using up some of our glut. First cucumber will make an appearance too. The recipe for the salad is here.

Cheapskate

Hi elsiepac, please can I go down for £300 for August? Going to try eating out of the cupboards & freezers during the school holidays, partly to save money, and partly to use up stuff before my annual autumn re-stock.

A xo

sweetpea26

PipneyJane wrote: »

What type of phone do you have? I have an iPhone - and an iPad - so use the free "Numbers" spreadsheet tool to track my GC spend. I can access the spreadsheet from both to add items to it, thanks to the free iCloud that came with my phone. (IIRC, you get 5gb iCloud free.)

It's just a matter of setting up columns and totals for what you want to track, then having the self-discipline to fill it in when you spend money. I'm lazy, so the easy part was setting up the spreadsheet.

HTH.

- Pip

Thanks Pip.

I don't have an Iphone or Ipad but use my laptop for work and home.
My daughter has forwarded me a spreadsheet so I am going to play around with it to do exactlty what I want it to do. You sound like me ... wanting to see it all in black and white.

cuddlymarm

Hi Elsie
Even though my target is £2000 for the year I’m aiming to stay under £140 this month. I’m on £799.33 for the year so far but Xmas is always an expensive time but I am quite proud of that.
I’m attempting to keep my cupboards and freezer low as we move in with my son for a month in September while we have renovations done. It’s not really a problem cos he’s not far away so everything can be used up at his but it seems daft moving more than I need to.
But any leftover money goes straight into the holiday fund so that’s always an incentive.
Have a really good month guys
Cuddles

Suffolk_lass

Finished with July now, my total spend is 50.52% of my annual budget. Like you cuddlymarm, I am not celebrating as I double my average of £200 per month budget for December.

I do seem to be accumulating stores a bit. I am going to hammer my freezer when we get back and try not to shop for anything other than fruit and milk before we go on hols this month.

In meals news, I skipped breakfast and we had courgette soup then greek yogurt with homegrown stewed rhubarb for lunch, a packet of lovely naughty cheese straws with an Aperol Spritz early evening, then a courgette salad with hard-boiled eggs mayonnaise, followed by yogurt and homemade jam and frozen fruit for supper.

Yes we have a glut of courgettes (but we don't mind) and fortunately, lots of rhubarb.

Been shopping today and we have three/four portions of chicken and fish for the next week but we are out for tapas with cousin and partner this evening. Very pleased to be having a catch up with them. Life is good

ditty1234

Hi Elsiepac, thanks for setting up thread, I would like to join for £260 for 2 and a bit people for August.
My Grocery bills has exploded this month an holiday, socialising and visitors - family staying, so next month it is.
Just did a £32 Sainsbury (£4.50 voucher) grocery shop and hopefully it will last til payday next week, and my first August Shop. Thanks

MoneyMission

Hello. Please can I join in for August? Haven't joined a grocery challenge for many a year but feel I need to be answerable to more than just my own head for a bit! Things aren't out of control but we are constantly going over budget, and I think the budget is already fairly generous at £110 per week.

We're away for the first bit of August on holiday so even though it's technically a 5 week month, I'm going with £440 as my target. If we manage that then next month I might aim for £100 per week. We're two adults, two teenagers (eating more than the adults!) and a small furry.

I'll try and post weekly from when we're back off holibobs.

Thank you,
MM

sweetpea26

My month starts today .. I was quite tempted to pop into a local deli/supermarket to buy some fresh ham coleslaw etc but resisted Its a great shop but everything in it just that little bit dearer than the larger supermarkets. I always seem to buy more things even if I go in to buy one or two items.
I see this as a success for me

So using what we have today and hope to pop Lidl tomorrow morning to see if they are any reductions and to get fresh lettuce.

Meal plan done for the week hoping to be able to save a bit this week.

All the best to everyone this month.

taka

Hi everyone. I'm going to try to decrease my food budget a little this month so can I be put down for £155 (£5/day) for the calendar month please?

Hope your move went ok elsiepac!